(373c) Core-Shell Magnetic Nanoparticles and Their Hemolytic Activity

Bimetallic nanoparticles that exhibit a core-shell architecture have been the focus of attention in recent years due to their unique size and shape-dependent properties (optical, electrical, magnetic, catalytic, mechanical, chemical, etc.), when compared with their monometallic counterparts. Introducing a magnetic element (core) in nanoparticles is additionally attractive owing to their potential applications in different fields. Therefore, studies on the controllable synthesis of nanomaterials with a core-shell structure are of great interest and are actively being pursued.

In this study, a two-step seeding growth process has been used to produce silica-modified hematite-magnetite nanoparticles as platforms for targeted drug delivery. Naked Fe2O3-Fe3O4 nanoparticles obtained by a co-precipitation process were covered with a silica shell of variable thickness using the well-known method developed by Stöber. The silica-modified hematite-magnetite nanoparticles were then functionalized with a silane monolayer. The functionalized Fe2O3-Fe3O4 samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Dynamic Light Scattering, Zeta potential, Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).

This study also uses the measure of hemolysis to evaluate the toxicity of silica-modified hematite-magnetite nanoparticles with and without surface modification and with varied sizes and investigates the effects on the nanoparticle-cell interaction.